Rijeka Gateway welcomes 100th vessel
Rijeka Gateway, the most technologically advanced container terminal in this part of Europe, has marked the arrival of its 99th and milestone 100th vessel just days before the first anniversary of the terminal’s commercial operations. The feeder vessels Moraga and Conship Luv berthed at the terminal almost simultaneously, after which cargo discharge and loading operations commenced. Rijeka Gateway successfully tested such parallel vessel operations for the first time in April, as this operating model enables more efficient use of berth capacity, shorter vessel waiting times and greater operational efficiency.
The arrival of Moraga and Conship Luv, which have been calling at Rijeka on a regular weekly rotation since the end of July, has further strengthened Rijeka Gateway’s role and its cooperation with global shipping companies Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk. Following the successful model already established with Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd has begun using the terminal as a transhipment location for Italian import and export cargo. In doing so, Rijeka Gateway has further reinforced its position as a regional logistics hub for container traffic in the Adriatic and is currently the only terminal in the Adriatic performing this type of operation within the Gemini network.
The Gemini network is the operational cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, covering seven major global trade routes designed to optimise and accelerate cargo flows. Rijeka Gateway serves as a key port of call within the Gemini cooperation on the AE12/SE1 service linking major Asian ports with the Mediterranean. This has further strengthened Rijeka’s connectivity with Trieste, Venice, Ravenna and Ancona, while expanding the terminal’s accessibility to regional markets.
“We are particularly pleased to have welcomed our 100th vessel ahead of the first anniversary of our commercial operations. In just one year and as a newly developed terminal, Rijeka Gateway has handled 100 vessel calls, including 47 large mainline container vessels operating on intercontinental Asia-Europe services and 53 feeder vessels connecting Rijeka with regional Italian ports. However, behind every one of these figures are people. I am extremely proud of our team, who in a very short period built organisational and operational capabilities comparable to the best terminals in the network. Today, Rijeka Gateway employs more than 420 people, and it is their expertise, dedication and professionalism that have enabled us to achieve such a significant milestone in our first year of operations,” said Peter Corfitsen, Chief Executive Officer of Rijeka Gateway.